Business Jet Traveler

Often described as the most precious jewel in the Greater Antilles, Cuba has an allure that is hard to resist. For many, the island is “forbidden fruit” because most Americans couldn’t enter the country legally after the U.S. broke diplomatic relations and closed its embassy in 1961.

Manufacturers and writers often attach the word “revolutionary” to new aircraft, but the forthcoming AW609 tiltrotor from Finmeccanica’s AgustaWestland really deserves the label. The aircraft takes off and lands like a helicopter yet can achieve forward speeds of around 275 knots, on par with a fast turboprop airplane.

Affluent travelers have already explored London, Paris, and Rome; played golf on Scottish links; learned how to make pasta in Italy; and watched penguins waddle in Antarctica. Now many have moved beyond sun tanning and sightseeing. They want to continue to enjoy travel but also to use their skills and resources to benefit the places they visit.

“Watch out—there’s a lot of money here,” says my guide, Merab, with a smile. “You will get very rich.” In the former Soviet of republic of Georgia, when you walk through cow dung, you supposedly become wealthy. I sidestep the muck and continue behind Merab up a steep, rocky trail, past the small village of Gergeti. The odor is foul.

Maybe you’re an aircraft owner who’d like to offer transportation to a political candidate you support. Or perhaps you’re a candidate who wants to grab a ride on a friend’s business jet. Either way, you’d be well advised to do some homework first, regarding the federal and state rules that apply to such flights.

On May 31, 2014, a Gulfstream IV crashed after an aborted takeoff at Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts. It overran the runway, hitting approach lights and an antenna before stopping in a ravine outside the airport’s perimeter. A post-impact fire killed all seven people on board: the two pilots, a flight attendant, and four passengers.

The careers of Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug, who cofounded Taylor Guitars in 1974, make for a saga that can appeal to opposite poles of the socio-political spectrum. To capitalists, their success exemplifies the potential of a free-enterprise system. At the same time, it underscores the hippie mantra that “doing your own thing” will enable you to achieve fulfillment far beyond monetary wealth.